Charlotte Tilbury's New Fragrances Have Me Feeling Some Type of Way
“How do you want to feel today?” asks Charlotte Tilbury to a small group of beauty editors and content creators in her London office. I traveled to the U.K. with the makeup artist and brand founder to be one of the first to learn about her top-secret Collection of Emotions perfume line—a project that’s been years in the making.
“I'm about to show you something that will completely change how you perceive fragrance,” says Tilbury, of her six-piece scent collection. “How do you want to feel today?” she asks again. “Who do you want to be today?”
You may be familiar with the latter question as the slogan from Tilbury's Beauty Icons makeup collections. Tilbury now challenges us—and our olfactory systems—to feel like whoever we want through scent. “However you want to feel and whoever you want to be, [you] choose the energy and vibration,” she says.
I wasn’t sold on the idea that my perfume had these transformative powers. Thinking about my perfume collection, though, I do have sultrier scents I reserve for date nights and bolder blends I spritz on before I walk into an important meeting. Do they transform me? Maybe not. But do these scents drive a particular confidence and mood? Absolutely.
Collection of Emotions isn’t Tilbury’s first attempt at fragrance (she launched the limited edition Scent of a Dream back in August 2016). It’s also much more nuanced than just her favorite notes tossed together and thrown into a single perfume bottle. This line emphasizes feelings of emotions you can construct with your olfactory system. Tilbury brought on a team of perfumers and scientists from International Flavors & Fragrance (IFF) to transform the powerful feelings she wished to evoke into six attention-grasping perfumes. To do so, they used what they call a proprietary “emotion-activating” AI algorithm called Scentcube.
“We measured the emotional power of ingredients by understanding the specific print they have on our brain," says Céline Manetta, senior consumer science manager of global innovation at IFF. From there, the team identified which emotions they boosted. Scentcube then converted this data into fragrance note combinations that trigger specific emotions and memories from the brain’s limbic system. (Your limbic system is responsible for various cognitive functions, like how you interpret emotions.)
In other words, the IFF blended notes that their algorithm says can illicit the motions of love, serenity, and more. Ahead, you’ll find the six fragrances Charlotte Tilbury has created, based on the power of scent—and what Allure editors thought of each of them.
Packaging
Drawing inspiration from fairytales, each bottle is encased in a box resembling a storybook. Flip it open to reveal the glass, potion-like vessel, reminiscent of the “Drink Me” vial in Alice in Wonderland.
The vibrant color of each vial was inspired by Tilbury’s love for crystals and gemstones, matching the shades to some of her favorite precious stones. You’ll also notice small Roman numerals underneath each perfume name, which Tilbury believes match the “energy” of each scent. To me, these numbers (while tiny on the bottles themselves), are a bit arbitrary to the fragrances, but I suppose they do add a certain je ne sais quoi to the collection's overall vibe.
The Fragrances
Love Frequency
“Floral, soft, and delicately hypnotic” is how Tilbury describes Love Frequency. Associate beauty editor Annie Blay describes this romantic, floral fragrance as a mix of both sweet and sour. “There's a slightly tangy note I picked up on after misting, which adds some balance,” she says. The unexpected notes of pink pepper and saffron give the rosy, floral-forward fragrance a spicy kick.
On the outside of the morganite glass bottle, you’ll notice the numerals “IX” etched onto the vial, along with a sacred heart with flames, which is said to symbolize all-encompassing, passionate, divine love. If you’re intrigued by a mix of gourmand and tart notes, with a touch of floral, Blay thinks you will love this scent—no pun intended.
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions Love Frequency
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Cosmic Power
At first sniff, you’ll immediately pick up Cosmic Power’s top notes of black pepper and cinnamon bark, followed by warm, cozy amber accord and vanilla bean. Tilbury describes the spicy-sweet fragrance as “empowerment in a bottle,” calling it invigorating yet enchanting at the same time.
“A spritz of Charlotte Tilbury's Cosmic Power transports me into a film noir,” says associate special projects director Hunter Lacey, who compares the scent to the familiar feeling of sitting in a dimly candlelit smoky bar, while sipping an ice-cold martini (dirty—no twist). The musk-forward blend immerses him in a world of intrigue and mystery where Lacey is the main character.
The richness of wood and the nose-grabbing spice of pepper seize attention, but as the fragrance lingers, the softness of rose and vanilla surface. “These notes round out Cosmic Power's profile, making for a richly complex scent that lasts throughout the day,” says Lacey.
As for the amethyst-colored glass bottle, the color purple is said to symbolize balance and restoration, similar to the pull of a new moon, which is etched on the front with the Roman numeral ‘VIII’.
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions Cosmic Power
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Calm Bliss
Calm Bliss full encapsulates the feeling of serenity with notes of sweet neroli oil and fresh, airy orange blossom absolute, lavender oil, and white musk entice the sensation of slipping under freshly washed linens for an ambient serene dream.
“I need all the Calm Bliss in my life,” says associate social media manager Bianca Richards. Describing the fragrance as a fusion of masculine and feminine notes, Richards found this scent to carry a very aquatic aroma that tingles her excitement for the upcoming beach days ahead.
But make no mistake, this is not a tropical scent adorned with fruity notes, like coconut and pineapple. Instead, it could be more defined as a clean, musk-driven juice that smells like the embodiment of an escape to an oceanside resort. “It reminds me of that euphoric feeling of taking a shower and resting after a long beach day,” she says.
Calm Bliss’s bottle features a blooming lotus, signifying stillness, and the Roman numerals “V1.”
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions Calm Bliss
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Magic Energy
“Awaken your senses with magic in a bottle,” Tilbury says of Magic Energy. With top notes of bergamot and myrtle (a white flower), this earthy scent sweetens up with jasmine and cashmere, along with a hint of palo santo, for a sensorial walk-through-the-forest experience. You’ll notice a star and the Roman numeral “I”— both symbols that represent “grounding energy,” according to Tilbury—etched onto the vibrant emerald green bottle.
Deputy digital director Kara McGrath was jolted with nostalgia upon the first mist, picking up the familiar note of jasmine. While the fragrance is supposed to give a sense of grounding, McGrath found the fragrance more peaceful than energizing. “It’s basic in a comforting way,” she says. “The notes are familiar and pleasing, plus the scent is pretty light and soothing.”
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions Magic Energy
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
More Sex
This alluring scent represents exactly what you’re thinking: seductive passion. Hence why Tilbury chose a pair of lush lips as the symbol on the glass bottle, along with the Roman numeral “V,” which represents “natural magnetism and seductive energy,” she says. Sandalwood, leather, and musk are just a handful of the warm notes that make this sultry fragrance ideal for a night out.
Drawn to the leathery hint of amber and juniper berry notes, associate social media director Kassidy Silva was intrigued right away. “I typically gravitate towards muskier scents, so this was a natural fit for me,” says Silva, who describes the notes as bold yet not overpowering with a dash of black pepper.
As for the emotional impact More Sex alludes, Silva sees it as a fragrance that makes you want to roll your shoulders back and throw on a bold red lip before you strut out the door. “An ultimate confidence boost,” she says. But will she rotate More Sex into her everyday wear? Silva is reserving this sexy fragrance strictly for date notes. “Who doesn’t love a dash of spice,” she says.
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions More Sex
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
Joyphoria
As its name suggests, Joyphoria, a warm, floral fragrance, represents the mood-boosting effect of vitamin D. The subtly sweet vanilla scent is all too familiar in my fragrance lineup, but with the addition of coconut water accord and ylang-ylang, it brings a welcomed tropical twist to my norm. I tend to gravitate toward comforting yet sophisticated perfumes that remind me of the California sunshine, but still feel mature enough to wear at the office, and that’s exactly what Joyphoria is.
The perfume’s rose-gold bottle, a nod to Tilbury’s iconic makeup packaging, features the radiant sun and “III” Roman numerals—and now sits atop my vanity. You’ll definitely find me stashing the travel-size bottle in my carry-on for trips back to the West Coast this summer.
Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions Joyphoria
$150.00, Charlotte Tilbury
You can shop the Charlotte Tilbury Collection of Emotions fragrances on Charlottetilbury.com for $150 each or a discovery set of all six scents for $30.
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Originally Appeared on Allure
